1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of mops. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of self-wringing mops for removing liquid from the mop.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Specifically, common mops are well known in the art and are generally referred as deck mops which are currently being used in households. These prior art deck mops are difficult and cumbersome to use. One disadvantage with prior art deck mops is that they require a separate wringing or squeezing device to remove or drain the liquid cleaning solution from the mop head. Therefore, the deck mop requires a separate wringing device in order to be effectively used.
Another prior art mop is known as a self-squeezing mop which eliminates the need for a separate wringing device. This self-squeezing mop typically incorporates a wringing device which is a squeeze ring located on one end of a cylinder and is sized to compress the strands of the mop head. The squeeze ring comprises a plurality of angular disposed stationary rollers. As the cylinder is pushed downwardly on the elongated mop handle, the stationary rollers engage and compress the strands of the mop head to drain the liquid cleaning solution from the mop head. The amount of liquid cleaning solution drained from the typical self-squeezing mop generally corresponds to the amount of pushing force exerted on the cylinder. Accordingly, one major drawback of the prior art self-squeezing mop is that it is very undesirable for people with less physical strength, especially elderly people.
The following eight (8) prior art patents are found to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 1,218,618 issued to Bauer on Mar. 13, 1917 for "Combined Mop And Wringer" (hereafter the "Bauer Patent"); PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,190 issued to Regan on Apr. 23, 1929 for "Combined Mop Holder And Wringer" (hereafter the "Regan Patent"); PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 2,066,096 issued to Currie on Dec. 29, 1936 for "Floor Mop" (hereafter the "Currie Patent"); PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 2,230,101 issued to Bakemeier on Jan. 28, 1941 for "Mop Holder And Wringer" (hereafter the "Bakemeier Patent"); PA1 5. U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,437 issued to Schaefer on Dec. 19, 1944 for "Mop" (hereafter the "Schaefer Patent"); PA1 6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,807 issued to Weiss on Aug. 14, 1984 for "Floor Mop" (hereafter the "Weiss Patent"); PA1 7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,163 issued to Morad on Apr. 23, 1996 for "Quick Squeezing Wringable Mop" (hereafter the "Morad Patent"); and PA1 8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,694 issued to Lewis on Mar. 10, 1998 for "Self-Squeezing Mop" (hereafter the "Lewis Patent").
The Bauer Patent discloses a combined mop and wringer. It comprises an operating mechanism for imparting a rotary movement to one of the mop holding members whereby the initial twisting of the mop is effected at a comparatively rapid rate and the final twisting is accomplished by a slower and more powerful twisting movement.
The Regan Patent discloses a combined mop holder and wringer. It comprises a handle with a mop clamp at a lower end of the handle. Slidably mounted on the handle is a tubular sleeve, on the lower end of which is secured a loop mop holder. A reduced portion is located between the mop clamp and the loop mop holder, where a mop is wrapped around the reduced portion and held there by the mop clamp and the loop mop holder. A helical-shaped groove is formed in the surface of the handle and extends substantially from the upper end to the tubular sleeve. This helical-shaped groove, together with a sleeve nut serves the function of imparting a rotary movement to the handle when the mop is to be wrung, this being accomplished by sliding the sleeve nut along the handle from the upper end of the handle to the lower end of the handle. The sleeve nut is held by one hand and pulled downwardly on the handle while the tubular sleeve is grasped by the other hand. The sleeve nut is tightly gripped when it is pulled downwardly over the handle and a rotary movement is thus transmitted to the handle, and as the mop clamp is secured to the lower end of the handle, it will rotate with the handle while the loop which is secured to the tubular sleeve is held stationary with the other hand.
The Currie Patent discloses a floor mop. It comprises a handle with an open ended tube which serves as a cylinder to accommodate a reciprocatory plunger. The plunger has a head which is slidably fitted within the cylinder. The head of the plunger is a bearing to accommodate a rotary jointing knob on the inner end of a mop turning screw. Attached to the bottom of the handle is a stationary plate with a guide slot through which the mop turning screw works back and forth. This forms the means for converting the reciprocatory motion of the plunger into the rotary motion for an adapter fixture attached to the lower end of the mop turning screw.
The Bakemeier Patent discloses a mop holder and wringer. It comprises a handle which is formed with a longitudinal channel extending from the lower end to a major portion of the handle and communicates with a spiral extension. Mounted on the handle is a metal sleeve which serves as a hand hold. The sleeve has an inner bearing ball which enters the channel, causing the handle and the sleeve to rotate together, but when the sleeve is raised, this causes the ball to enter the spiral groove. The handle rotates when the sleeve is held to keep the sleeve from turning.
The Schaefer Patent discloses a mop. It comprises a handle with a mop secured at its lower end and a fabric stretching and wringing mechanism. The mechanism has a body portion in the form of a sleeve with an external spiral slot. Secured in a predetermined position on the mop handle is a pin or screw on which a roller head is rotatably mounted. The roller head sits on the handle and projects into the spiral groove of the sleeve so that when the sleeve is slidably moved on the mop handle, the sleeve is caused to rotate due to the coaction of the roller head working in the spiral groove of the sleeve.
The Weiss Patent discloses a floor mop which comprises a handle and a helicoidal screw-threaded groove.
The Morad Patent discloses a quick squeezing wringable mop which utilizes a spring-and-ratchet mechanism and longitudinal ribs on the handle.
The Lewis Patent discloses a self-squeezing mop. The Lewis Patent discloses a self-squeezing mop which employs a linear squeezing action to remove liquid carried by stranded, non-woven absorbent material. The mop has a mop head attached to a mop handle and a cylinder which travels longitudinally along a portion of the handle between a retracted position to an extended position. A squeeze ring is disposed about the axis of the cylinder comprising a plurality of rollers and arms disposed radially about the axis for compressing the strands of the mop head as the cylinder travels vertically from the retracted to the extended position. Each roller is mounted for rotation about a stationary axle. Accordingly, the rollers are restricted to rotational, rather than axial or lateral movement.
It is desirable to provide a very efficient and also very effective design and construction of a self-wringing mop for removing liquid from the strands of the mop head. It is also desirable to provide a self-wringing mop which does not require a separate wringing device for removing liquid from the mop head.